The Top 10 Best Action Films of the 2010s (So Far...)

Introduction: I've seen a couple of lists for the best action films of the current decade so far, and frankly they are pretty weak. As to how films like Lucy and Fast Five can appear on such lists baffles me. Don't get me wrong, those are fun action films, but a far cry from true action masterpieces. Therefore, I thought that I would create my own list for my ten favorite action films of the current decade so far, now that we are halfway through it and all. In order for a film to classify on the list, it has to have been released in the United States between January 1st 2010 and this year. Therefore, any foreign film released before 2010 that made its way to the states in 2010 or after is fair game.

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3: Korean Translation (The Man From Nowhere)

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Breakdown: 

• My top ten films are comprised of three American, one Japanese, two Hong Kong, two Indonesian, and two South Korean productions.
• The list is 70% Asian and 30% North American.
• Johnnie To and Gareth Evans have two films on the list each.
• Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning was released in extremely limited theatrical release and direct to streaming/video. Therefore, it mostly classifies as a direct to video release, thereby demonstrating the strength of low budget direct to video films in today's day and age of cinema.
• Mad Max: Fury Road is the most recent film on the list, at only five months old.
• Only two of the ten films take place in worlds that exist outside of our reality (i.e. Universal Soldier is science fiction and Mad Max is post-apocalyptic fantasy). However, both films feature grounded action even though exist in fantastical worlds.
• Both John Wick and 13 Assassins feature a 100 plus body count.
• 13 Assassins and The Good, the Bad, the Weird are the only historical films on the list, taking place in feudal Japan and early 1900s Manchuria respectively.
• Vengeance, The Good, the Bad, the Weird, and The Man From Nowhere were released before 2010 in their respective countries, but did not make their way to the states until 2010.